, known as , is a Japanese

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

. He is known for his

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

feature film A feature film or feature-length film (often abbreviated to feature), also called a theatrical film, is a film (Film, motion picture, "movie" or simply “picture”) with a running time long enough to be considered the principal or sole present ...

s produced with

CoMix Wave Films is a Japanese animation film studio and distribution company based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is known for its anime feature films, short films, and television commercials, particularly those made by director Makoto Shinkai. It was fo ...

. Shinkai began his career as a

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

animator An animator is an artist who creates images, known as frames, which give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, and video games. Animat ...

with Nihon Falcom in 1996, and gained recognition as a filmmaker with the release of the

original video animation , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the ...

(OVA) ''

She and Her Cat , subtitled ''Their Standing Points'', is a 1999 Japanese original video animation created and directed by Makoto Shinkai. His first own directed work, it is a five-minute story about the relationship between a male cat and his female owner ...

'' (1999). Shinkai then released the

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

OVA ''

Voices of a Distant Star is a Japanese science fiction original video animation (OVA) short film created and animated by Makoto Shinkai. It follows the lives of two close childhood friends, a boy and a girl, who are separated when the girl is sent into space to ...

'' in 2002 as his first feature with CoMix Wave, followed by his debut feature film '' The Place Promised in Our Early Days'' (2004). Shinkai's films have consistently received highly positive reviews from both critics and audiences, and he is considered to be one of Japan's most commercially successful filmmakers. His three most recent films '' Your Name'' (2016), '' Weathering with You'' (2019), and '' Suzume'' (2022), collectively known as the "Disaster trilogy", are all among the highest-grossing Japanese films of all time, both in Japan and worldwide at the time of their release.

Early life

Makoto Shinkai was born in Koumi, Nagano. His family runs a construction company. Shinkai studied

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japa ...

at Chuo University, where he was a member of the juvenile literature club and drew picture books. Shinkai traces his passion for creation to the

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

and

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

s he was exposed to in middle school.

Career

1996–2000: Early career

After graduating from Chuo University Faculty of Literature in March 1996, Shinkai got a job at Nihon Falcom, a

company. He worked there for 5 years, making video clips for games and graphic design, including web content. During this time Shinkai met musician Tenmon, who later scored many of his movies. In 1999, Shinkai released ''

'', a five-minute short piece done in

monochrome A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, mon ...

. It won several awards, including the grand prize at the 12th DoGA CG Animation Contest (2000). The short details the life of a cat, entirely from the cat's perspective, as it passes time with its owner, a young woman.

2000–2016: Rise

After winning the grand prize, Shinkai began thinking about a follow-up while he continued working for Falcom. In June 2000, Shinkai was inspired to begin working on ''

'' by drawing a picture of a girl in a cockpit grasping a

mobile phone A mobile phone or cell phone is a portable telephone that allows users to make and receive calls over a radio frequency link while moving within a designated telephone service area, unlike fixed-location phones ( landline phones). This rad ...

. Sometime later, he was contacted by ''Manga Zoo'' (today a smartphone app), which offered to work with him, giving him a grant to turn his idea into an anime they could sell. In May 2001, Shinkai quit his job at Falcom and began to work on ''Voices of a Distant Star''. In an interview, Shinkai noted that production took around seven months of "real work". ''Voices of a Distant Star'' was followed by the 90-minute '' The Place Promised in Our Early Days'', which was released in Japan on November 20, 2004. It was critically acclaimed, winning many honors. Shinkai's next project was '' 5 Centimeters per Second'', which premiered on March 3, 2007 and consists of three short films: ''Cherry Blossom'', ''Cosmonaut'', and ''5 Centimeters per Second''. In September 2007, Nagano's leading newspaper, ''Shinano Mainichi Shinbun'', released a TV commercial animated by Shinkai. Makoto Shinkai at Otakon 2011

Shinkai spent 2008 in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, resting after the completion of ''5 Centimeters per Second''. He returned to Japan in 2009 to start work on his next project. He released two concept drawings for this film in December 2009. Shinkai noted that it would be his longest animation film to date and described the story as a "lively" animated film with adventure, action, and romance centered on a cheerful and spirited girl on a journey to say "farewell". In November 2010, he revealed that his next work would be titled '' Children Who Chase Lost Voices from Deep Below''. A teaser trailer was released on November 9, and the film was released on May 7, 2011. His next feature, '' The Garden of Words'', was released on May 31, 2013.

2016–2022: "Disaster trilogy"

On August 26, 2016, Shinkai released '' Your Name.'' The film received widespread acclaim from audiences and critics, praising the film for its narrative, imagery, animation, music, emotional weight, and skillful use of post-postmodernist themes. The film was also a commercial success, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time in Japan. By 2019, the film became the highest-grossing anime film of all time, overtaking

Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli and serves as honorary chairman. Throughout his career, Miyazaki has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller and creator of Anime, Japanese ani ...

's '' Spirited Away''. Shinkai's next film, '' Weathering with You'', was released in Japan on July 19, 2019. The film was also a commercial success, grossing worldwide and becoming the tenth-highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. '' Suzume'', Shinkai's seventh feature-length film, was released in Japan on November 11, 2022. The film was a further critical and commercial success, grossing over worldwide.

Personal life

Shinkai is married to retired actress and producer , who is best known for starring in '' Versus''; the couple has a daughter, child actress , who was born in 2010. His favorite anime films are '' Castle in the Sky'', '' Nausicaä'' and '' The Castle of Cagliostro'' by

, '' The End of Evangelion'' by Hideaki Anno, and '' Patlabor 2: The Movie'' by

Mamoru Oshii is a Japanese filmmaker, television director and writer. Famous for his philosophy-oriented storytelling, Oshii has directed a number of acclaimed anime films, including ''Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer'' (1984), ''Angel's Egg'' (1985), '' ...

. An asteroid, 55222 Makotoshinkai, is named after him.

Works

Films

Short films

Video games

Commercials

Literary works

Manga

Illustrations

* — Illustrator (2003–2011)

Accolades

Shinkai has been called "The New Miyazaki" in several reviews, including those by Anime Advocates and ActiveAnime—comparisons that Shinkai brushed off as "overestimation".

Notes

References

External links

Makoto Shinkai's Website

Makoto Shinkai's Official Portal
* * *
Entry
in

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (''SFE'') is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo Award, Hugo, Locus Award, Locus and BSFA Award, British SF Awards. Two print editions appea ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shinkai Makoto 1973 births Anime directors Chuo University alumni Japanese fantasy artists Japanese animated film directors Japanese animators Japanese illustrators Japanese science fiction artists Living people Manga artists People from Nagano Prefecture